Michael Schumacher saved from being “black flagged”
The much awaited Hungarian Grand Prix brought many surprises for racing fans all over the world. Fans witnessed a breathtaking saga of extreme car racing coupled with loads of unexpected twists. The shift of team orders by Ferrari drivers, along with the Mercedes driver, Schumacher pushing his ex-mate into a concrete wall left many with mouths wide open. But it was the all-time favourite Michael, who has been the talk of the town. His dangerous move during the race not only tinted his fame, but also gave him a penalty that he was not satisfied with.
Critics had their distinct opinions. Fans gossiped endlessly on social networking sites. Since the FIA had already decided that the former F1 players would be part of the panel, Derek Warwick had Schumacher’s fate in his hands. Steward’s second panel at Hungaroring overviewed Schumacher’s winning strategy against his fellow racer Ruben Barrichello. The last moments of the race saw the Mercedes driver push his close opponent into a concrete wall so that he couldn’t pass him.
After careful consideration of the incident, the panel gave him a ten-place grid penalty for the Belgium Grand Prix. The steward officials declared Michael’s behaviour as “purposefully and illicitly impeded towards his opponent during the 186mph duel”. However, Derek muses that Schumi would have been “black flagged”, only if the stewards had more time on their hands to watch the footage critically. In his interview with Radio 5 Live Derek said, “A black flag would have taught all the young drivers a lesson. The game is about winning- but not at the cost of your mates’ lives”. He went on to add, “But we got the footage late and by the time we had it, we were already behind schedule. So we passed on a customary penalty. Video evidence would have led to a disqualification. But for that you need solid proof. And that’s not possible without the footage. Moreover, you can only throw a black flag, when all the stewards think on the same lines”. Warwick continued, “Michael handled the matter in a very non-sportsmanlike way. We also had a word with Rubens and it was quite a sad affair. When you make a decision, you have to take all the evidence that you have into account. This incident could have led him out of the Grand Prix or the next two Grand Prixs”.
When asked about the affair from one of the stewards, he said that a 10-place penalty was exactly what Schumi needed. He said dropping ten places in the grid would leave no chance for Michael to stay “in” the race.
When asked whether the 10- place penalty was fit for Spa or not, Warwick said, “A 10th grid at the Spa simply means being thrown out of the race. And this is exactly what the penalty is meant for. He will remember this and will think twice before doing something similar. He should know that the new stewards will not tolerate anything of the sort again”.
The seven-time champion, Michael Schumacher said that he agreed with what the stewards had decided for him. He said that he was ready to face the penalty in the upcoming Belgian Grand Prix, later this month.
When questioned about his move, Schumi said, “I couldn’t feel the intensity of the manoeuvre then. But when I watched the video, I realised how serious the incident could have been”.
The German driver had just returned to Formula 1 after spending three years in retirement. He declared the race to be one of the “toughest” in his F1 career. The driver placed 11th at Hungaroring. On the contrary, Rubens managed to grab the final point, after combating the severe snag from Michael. The Brazilian driver, Barrichello said, “I like competing tough and fair. But this wasn’t fair at all. It wasn’t even close to being fair”. He further added, “Michael may go to heaven- if he goes there. But I don’t want to make it that early. Not before him”.
The number one ex-Ferrari driver could not make it to the top 10 in the last four races. Now with the blow to his legacy and the onerous penalty, it can be presumed that the seven-time Champion will be nowhere near the podium in the upcoming Belgian Prix.
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